Archive for November, 2008

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

Notes:

— I was heavy on the heavy rock today, with the early 70s American rockers Bang (from Florida) and Sir Lord Baltimore (from Brooklyn), more modern head-banging from Lima Peru’s La Ira de Dios, and the utterly neglected gem of a hardcore record by NY’s Action Swingers, Decimation Blvd. (1993).

— I had a satisfying Dutch back-to-back with the all-lady early punk band, The Nixe, followed by something from The Ex’s Turn album, which I believe is my favorite by them, and that’s saying something. Terrie Ex from The Ex made a second appearance at the end of the show with a recent album of duet material with the great Dutch free jazz/improv drummer, Han Bennink, who at the age of 66 can still drum your ass into the dirt.

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

Notes:

— Much new music today, much of it also quite good–especially USA Is a Monster, who played here in Asheville the same night that Deerhunter was playing down the street at the Orange Peel. I can tell you that I was ecstatic that I chose USA Is a Monster. I never knew that they would remind me so much of the French band Magma, and that’s a good thing.

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

Notes:

— This week’s musical highlight was the show by Paul Metzger and Tim Kaiser at Harvest Records. These guys are from Minnesota and each played solo sets that expanded my brain more than 99% of my usual musical consumption. Tim Kaiser plays instruments that he has invented, mostly analog electro-acoustic in some form or another, and it was SO refreshing to see someone play "electronic" music wihout a damned laptop and with a true sense of space. ATTENTION laptop people: STOP IT! PLEASE!!!! Rant over, and now back to Tim Kaiser… His instruments are flat out c-o-o-l; you can see and hear them for yourself by going to the website for Atomic Sonic, his instrument-building business. My favorite was the OptoVox2 (seen above), which is a kind of theremin played with a light pen, as the sound is activated by light sensors in the holes. One of the characteristics of Tim’s instruments and playing that I found refreshing is that they mostly lack sharp attacks, which allows for gradual transitions and an other-worldly mellowness that nonetheless refuses to fade into ambience. This is not background music, and it is definitely worth the pennies he asks for CDs (which themselves are works of art).

— Second came Paul Metzger, who plays banjo and guitar, only not the kind of banjo and acoustic guitar you would expect, as they’re modified with extra strings and weird percussive add-ons that allow him to make a ruckus and drone all at the same time. With so many Fahey wannabes out there, seeing Paul play restored my faith in the capacity of the acoustic guitar (and banjo, for that matter) to be a truly innovative medium. This is intense music–so intense in fact that one very drunken listener began to sway and chant like he was at a Pentecostal church service, freaked out, tried to stand up and fell into Paul’s rig before being helped outside, all while Paul kept on blowing our heads. Damned fine. Something weird and wonderful must be in the water in Minnesota. I left inspired.

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

Notes:

— This was one happy and rockin’ fund drive show, thanks in great part to my magnificent, candescent co-host, Peter Poffenberger of the Ooze Out! radio program on WPVM (Tuesday nights, 10-midnight or later). We brought in "happy" music, and because the phones rang, we were also happy. This show was probably my best fund drive show, and that’s saying something because last week’s Halloween show with Dr. Filth was also pretty frakkin’ great. Thanks to all who gave to WPVM during the show–and any other time, for that matter!

Artist

Song

Album

New

The Kinks

Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy

Kinda Kinks!

Wanda Jackson

Man, We Had a Party

Queen of Rockabilly

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Soul Shakedown Party

Soul Shakedown Party

The Saints

Every Day’s a Holiday, Every Night’s a Party

Prehistoric Sounds

Rolling Stones

Happy

Exile on Main Street

Can

Turtles Have Short Legs

Radio Waves

The Left Banke

She May Call You Up tonight

Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina

Bridget St. John

Happy Day

Thank You for..

Devo

Uncontrollable Urge

VA – Urgh! A Music War

The Breeders

Shocker in Bloomtown

7"

The Runaways

Cherry Bomb

The Runaways

Count Five

Pretty Big Mouth

Psychotic Reaction

The 13th Floor Elevators

You’re Gonna Miss Me

The Psychedelic Sounds of

The Normal

Warm Leatherette

T.V.O.D.

Missing Persons

Destination Unknown

Spring Session M

Blue Cheer

Second Time Around

Vincebus Eruptum

Speed, Glue & Shinki

Sniffin’ & Snortin’ Part 2

Speed, Glue & Shinki

Love Live Life +1

Love Will Make a Better You

Love Will Make a Better You

Blues Creation

Atomic Bombs Away

Demon & Eleven Children

Roxy Music

Pyjamarama

Virginia Plain 7"

George Coleman

I Wish I Could Sing

Bongo Joe

The Slits

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Typical Girls

Fetty

Pariaman

VA – Folk and Pop Songs of Sumatra Vol. 2

Irma Thomas

Breakaway

Sings

*

The Angels

My Boyfriend’s Back

My Boyfriend’s Back

Go-Go’s

Our Lips Are Sealed

7"

The Creepers

Rosalyn

Rock ‘n’ Roll Liquorice Flavour

Iggy Pop

Five Foot One

New Values

MIka Miko

Business Cats

C.Y.S.L.A.B.F.

Vivian Girls

Tell the World

Vivian Girls

*

Monty Python

Election Special

The Final Rip Off

Bill Monroe

Happy on My Way

Bluegrass 1950-1958

Comments Off on Fund Drive, Show 2–with the great Peter Poffenberger!!!

The Radio Show

"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" is a radio program hosted by Greg Lyon that airs at random times on AshevilleFM.org (Asheville Free Media). Check this blog for upcoming show announcements. Until June 2004 the show aired on WPRB, Princeton, NJ, 103.3 FM . From 2007-2009 the show aired on WPVM in Asheville, NC. Playlists for my later WPRB shows and all of my WPVM shows are still on this website.